Machine for applying metallic leaf.



G. E. LITTLEHELIL MACHINE FOR APPLYING METALLIC LEAF.

APPLICATION HLQJ MAY 9. 9H.

Patented Oct. 9, 1311.

5 SHEETSSHEET l.

G. E. UTTLEFIELD.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING METALLIC LEAF.

APPLICATWN HlED MAY 9. I911.

[raven/Z97.

Aiior n ey G. E. LITTLEHELD.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING METALLIC LEAF. APPLICAHON flllID MAY 9. Ian.

1,242,454. Patented Oct. 9.1917.

5 SHEETS-SNEET 3.

Aiiorn e y,

UNITED STix'gEs PATEIiT OFFICE.

cmonun EVLI'I'I'DEFIELD, or rnovmzmcn, RHOZDE 'rsnaan. ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICDI\\ 1mm. GOLD mu COMPANY. A conromvnoa or nnoma ISLAND.

wmninis run APPLYING ma'rnmc LEAR.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fllad may 9. 1917. Serial No. 101,459.

7 '0 all 'm/wm it may concern:

lie it known tint I (lnonor. E. Lrrrimrnna), a citizen of the. United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Applying Metallic Leaf, of which thy, following is a specification.

My invention relates to maehines adapted for applying metallic leaf to leather, bookcovers, and to other articles.

The easeutial ohjecls of my invel'ition are to :mtomatirally apply from a nwtall'ii: strip ornamental pieces an to complete the application h v mohoaaing and hurnishing the same upon an article to he ornauwntml; to apply the metallic pieces with ut injury 'to the paper barking strip upon which the metalli'e strip is nionnlrd; to dispense with the necessity of applying oil-to the work for holdiu; the gold in mutant therewith prior to the stamping operation; to apply lhe pieces with accuracy; to dis rose of a supporting strip before the lion action a ("he diva: to accommodate the. mechanism to articles of (lilierent thiekniwses and shaprpi to apply a douhlc stl'ukaoffhe died during a xiuglecwwle of operations of the marhme pa rls; to vary the relative depths of the two strokes of the plunger: to a fl'ord nu-aus l'or applyinga plurality of metallir strips simullam-oualy and of dili'erent lengths and relalive locations; and to attain these ends-in a simple and easily operahle machine.

To the above ends essentially my invenlion rullsih'ls in-raieh parta'and combinations of parts as fair within the scope of the appended elaims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification. Figure 1v is a side eleration of the maehine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2. a front end elevation,

Fig. 3. a section of the name on line li -3'. of Fig. 2. v

-lig$.' 4 and 5. sections on linel-i-t and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 1,

Figs. 6 aud 'l, views partially in transverse section of the femling meinhers,

Fig. B. an end elevation of a; flange and cam. and i Fig. 5). a detail srrtipnjofthe adjustable eani portion.

Like referenee eharaelem indicate like parts throughout the views.

The support for my machine may he of any form Jest adapted to carry the. parts. In the present instance. a table or heneh 1 supports a hollow frame or casing 3 conipriising a base at, side. walls 5, and an overhangars; arm l terminnling in a head 7. 'lhehuac is attached iothehench hyserews 8 and is provided with anthreaded opening 9.65 whose l ll'i'llllH In engage. the exterior thread ll of a hollow guide 1:! provided at its top with an annular flange l3 haviu peripheral holes H- to rrrrivr a wreurh. This guide.

la-vertically adjustable by a nut 15, haa" in \vreuuh holes Ill. The nntengages the lhrendu 1]. of the. guide. Slidahl-y mounted in the guide la the h'llllllli 18 of the tahle ii).

The table is maintained against rolation' hv lateral cars 20 lasl'to verliral uiderods ii? r-zlidahle in openings 23 in the frame base ll 'lhc tahle lii'has a groove 21 to receive a shoulder 25 upon the hotloni face of a platen or slide 27 which is removahly mounted upon the mun. but it may he. lixrd thereto 80. in any eonvenienl. manner. The table and platen may he. a single n'aan'her. Their purpose into support the work. Superior hurnishing ell'eels are Serured ii) inereaaiup the length of time that the hurninhingalie is in actual contact with the work. To attain this iurreasml length 9f 31 contact a yielding capacity is imparted to the platen and table thus. A plunger 29, slidahle in the guide -12 has a depending po shank 30 which passes through an opening" 31 in the guide and an opening 32 in the (a hle 1. Ahelical slain- 33 in the guide stun. rounds the stem and a ails against the head. llxeessive. upward travel of the plunger-BT prevented hy a luhnlar aqua-inf; piece 35 whose hase 313 in perforated as at 37 to rewire the threaded end portion 38 of the- :-'hank 30 adapted to rereive adjusting nuts a .40. By means of these ends the extent .of 1.00

travel and lengzlh of dwell of theplatenmay; he varied. or thereby; theplnngrr 29 maybe withdrawn completely out 'of eontactnrithuthe portion 15. thus making the table :i'nr I platen unyielding. For adjusting-the platen to work of va rying thielv'nesses the nut 15 is turned.

Slidahly mourned in the head 'i is a ree- [angular plunger 4; provided with aninter mediate opening 42; andliaving fixed to its 11 and lower end a die holder 43 carrying upon its bottom face a plurality of dies 44 in the present instance of different lengths. The die holder is heated in any usual convenient manner. as for instance, by an electrical comluctor 47 leading from any source of electrical supply to the die holder.

The plunger 41 is supported as follows. The cap 49. attached to the head 7 hr screws fit), is provided with a hole 52 to admit the threaded shank 53 of the hook 54. ()n the shank is an adljusting nut 55 which rests upon the cap. he hook supports the upper end 56 of the helical spring 57 whose lower ends 58 engage a pin 5!) in the plunger.

The plunger is downwardl forced by a lever 60 pivotally mounted intermediate its length on a shaft 01. The lever isprorided with a rounded head (:2 which is loose in the opening -12 of the plunger. The spring 57 holds the plunger 41 at all times in con tact with the under face of the head 62.

The rear end of the lever 60 is bifurcated and in the fork or bifurcation (i3 is a pin 64 carrying a cum roll (35 engaging a cam 67 fast on the main shaft 68 mounted in.

bearin 69 in the .walls 5 of the frame. This s aft is driven from any source of power through driving wheel 71 and clutch 72.

The cam 07 is of a form to insure two vibrations of the lever 60 during each .revolution of the shaft 68. In the present instance, this is attained by two, oppositely disposed operating swells 74 and 75 form ing an oblong cam member. The shoulder or swell 74 is of less radius or length than that of the shoulder or swell 75. so that as the cam rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, the first of the two vibrations of the arm 60 is less deep or pmnonnced than the second.

i This diflerence in throw of the arm is desirable because the first descent of the plunger 41 is purposecl' merely; to clearly outline segregate the meta ic film from the. paper supporting strip to the surface of the work restin upon the table 27, and possibly very slighty embossing the'wpiuatml metallio Portion; The second stroke is intendedto substantially cmhoss and highly hurnisll the applitid metallic piece or pieces. The comparatively. light til-st stroke. there f0lt!,'(l06$ notmutilate, destrov or weaken the pa er hacking strip that carries the. inetallic caf'as would he the result. were the first. stroke of sutlioient strength to perform a full embossing function.

The driving clutch 72, consisting of the clutch member 77am the pulley and the clutch member 78 on the main shaft, is opembed in the present instance by the following mechanism. Slidahly mounted in a side wall 5' is a rod 79 having a head 80 on its upperencl upon which is a wedge shaped I I cum finger 8t engaging a slidahle lock iiu H2 in the member 7- ew ageable in notcies H3 in the na-inher Ti. lhis pin is pressed lay a spring 84. A ln'licul spring in a recess 8a in th wall upwardly presses the head 80 and its linger and keeps the lock pin 82 out of en agement with the member 77 so as to put tic mechanism out of o eralien. (in the rod 7!) is a stop collar 87.

The rod 79 may he depressed to throw the machine into operation in any convenient manner. In the present instance the lneeh anism comprises a collar 88 on the rod 79 haring'a lateral finger 89, upon which tests the arm 90 of a hell crank lever pivoted on a pin 91 in the side wall. livotally at tached to the second arm 92 of the lever is a push rod 93 passing through'an opening, D4 in the base of the machine. On the end of this rod is a head 95. By inwardly pressing the head i)?- the rod 79 is depressed and the clutch pill S2 is thrown into engagement with a clutch notch 83.

For convenience of access to the mechanism in the frame a removable door 90 is located in an opening 97 in the casin of the machine, and is locked in position by a button 99 in Mounted on horizontal guides 100 and 101 fixed to opposite sides of the arm 6 is a feed carriage 102 com )risiug vertical side walls 103 and 104, slulably engaging the guides 100 and 101 respectively, and an end wall 10:1. The wall 103 has on its ends lateral ears 107 fixed in which are a su )porting rod 108 and a stop rod 109. ()n tlierod 108 are two collars 111 longitudinally adjustable thereon by set screws 112. Each collar has pivotally attached thereto an arm 114 carrying a pin 115 adapted to loosely enter the axial opening-116 of a roll 117. In each arm 11-1 is a screw. 11B carrying a tension spring 119 engaging the face of the roll. .On therear arm 114 is :1. depending lug 120 resting on the rod 109. he. forward arm 114 rests directly on tln rod. Therefore the rolls 117 are in different horizontal planes, whereby the renewal or adjustment of the rolls is facilitated. 'lhe rolls are of the usual construction in this art comprising a core 121 on which is wound a-paper hacking strip 122 and a metallic strip 123.

the door engaging the casing.

Upon the ca rrhtge wall 104, at its ends, are

backing stri s 122 therehetween a certain distance. 0 segments are both circumserew 13d as shown in Figs. i3 and 7.

longitudinally adjustable upon the shall li il by virtue of split hearing rings ill-1 integral with the segments whose free ends 136 are eonneeted by a hinding In 'these figures the segments are shown adlasted at dill'erent angles relatively to eaeh utllil.

In order to mainl'ahp th strips 122 in plan-e orrthe feed roll during any inter al when the segments are not in engagement therewith rollers l-lll are providl'd, These are loose on a shaft ill in the lower ends ol depending arms HQ pivoted at 1-H to the ears at points ahove the feed roll. The rolls H0 are pressed against the feed roll hy a spring llii one of whose ends engage the arm H2 and whose other end is attached to an adjusting erew HR in a block IE) on one ol the ars. The shaft 126 drives the shaft till through gears 15] and 151 on the resaru-etive shalts. (in the shalt 126 are llanges lfiil eontacting with rains 15-1 on shaft [211. ily virtue of these rams and flanges the shaft 231 is movahle toward and from the feed roll 227: the aims imparting an upward mmement of the shaft lill against the resilient action of the springs h-renlially and 1251. While the high portion ol eaeh ram 151 is in. eontai-t with its eorrespondlng llange the segments 1 are out of vontaet with the feed roll so that they do not feed the tlll) 122. These strips pass over guides or hearings 15h and 157 altaehed at their ends to the earriage walls 103 and 10 re speetively. and are hmgitmlinally disposed with relation thereto. They are reetangular in outline and form parallel loops depending from the 'alls to a plane below that ol the dies 4! when the plunger is elevaled. The strips in their intermittent adram-e pass transversely beneath and in rontact with the desorihed guides.

The shaft 196 is in this ease in two parts arid carries fixed thereto one elnteh member 159 whose eompanion memher Hill is fast on a shaftend 16] mounted in a hearing 16?: carried hy an arm 164 on the maehine asing. A gear .1136 on the latter shaFf engzwes the teeth 168 of a mutilated gear ll?!) faxed to' the main shaft (38 whereby the segments and feed roll are driven as deserihed.

The earriage 102 is reriprm-ated horizow tally upon the guides 100 and 1H]. lhe walls 103 and 101 being prehrrahlv grooved at their tops. as at 'll'l l and 171. to reveive the same. and provided with plates or retaining flanges or plates 172 and 17.; to further engage the same. The meehi'mism lor reeiproeating the carriage is as 'l'ollows:----

Fixed to the main shaft (3H within the maehine frame is a cam 175 provided with oppositeshoulders 17%] and 177 engaging a cam roll 12 8 upon an intermediate portion of a lever 179 pivotally nlounted at its rear end differ in length so that the strips 12; individimllv advanee varying,

on a shaft lhl in the walls. ()n the forward end of the lever is a pin 181 which moves loosely in the fork ll-4:2 of a lever 183 fast on a rock shaft 184 mounted in the walls. The lever 183 is upwardly drawn against the action of the eam hy a spring 185 whose lower end engages a pin lSfi on the lever, and whose upper end engages a hook 187 on a rod 188 whose threaded end through a perhlration lfih'l in the easing and earries an adjusting nu!" lfii. Fixed to each end of the shaft 184 are upwardly and. rearwardly directed levers 1.92 to whose ends are pivotally eonnerled horizontal links 194 whose opposite ends are pivotally connected by pita; 195 to lugs ti l; on plates 172 and 173. The earn 175 is so timed relatively to the, ram (37 that the farriage 102 is projected forwardly to hring the strips 122 beneath the dies ll while the plunger l-! is elevated where the carriage remains for a snllieient interval to permit the plunger to desrend nose and therelry delive' a part of the metallic strip 1523 upon the artiele to he ornamented resting upon the table 27. The carriage then. retreats to its original position while the plunger ascends and makes a second descent hringing its dies 44 downwardly upon the delivered metallie leaf thereby giving a final finish whieh is impossi le to attain. when the dies operate only on an internlediate haehing strip o'l paper. It will thus he seen that the plunger includes in its eyele of operations two deseeuts while the earriage performs hut one advanee.

\Vhile the rarriage is in its real-most position the operation ol' advaneing the barking strips is perforna-d lay virtue of the teeth upon the gear 161*. 'hen the hlanh portlon of the gear 169 is reaehed the earriage advances and the gear 166 remains idle.

In the ornamentation of artieles. 'l'or-instanee hook (lovers; several parallel lines of printing and ornamentation of dill'ering lengths oe lng in whirh ease there are employed as many dies 4-1. one or more, as there are lines of ornamentalion. lhese dies are usually allixed lo the portion 43 of the plunger hy glue. hut this method of atta le ment is not exelnsive. The numher of strips 122 employed correspond with the numher of dies or ornaments H. The latter usually it is necessary that distanees. This is ell'erted hy eireumlerenlially adjusling the segments lili! relatively to eaeh other. 'hen the spares between the lines of ornzunentation dill'er the rolls 11? are longitudinally adjusted on the rod 108, and the segments are longitudinally adjusted on the shaft 131.

While the first of the double vibration; of the plunger is the less pronounced, pro vision is made for varying or obviating this diflerenoe lay a block 19.) slidable radially 1 Passes in a slot 201 in the margin of the cam swell 74, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. A wedge 20). in the slot bearing against the tapered rear end of the block 199 is operated to advance the latter by means of a nut 203 on a threaded post 204 upon the wedge. A. washer 205 is employed with the nut.

What I claim is:-

1. In a metallic leaf applying machine,

the combination with the frame, of a plunger in the frame, means for actuating the plunger, guides on the frame, a reciprocating carriage slidably mounted on the guides and movable toward the plunger, a roll holder on the carriage. a feed roll on the carriage, means for actuating the feed roll. segments cooperating with the feed roll, and means for reciprocating the carriage. 2. In a metallic leaf applying machine. the combination with the frame, of a plunger mounted in the frame. means for actuating the plunger. horizontal guides on the frame spaced from the plunger, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the guides, a roll holder on the carriage at one side of the plunger, a feed roll on the carriage at the other side of the plunger. a segment on the carriage engaging the feed roll to draw a backing strip transversely of the plunger the distance required, and means for reciprocating the carriage.

3. In a metallic leaf applying machine. the combination with the frame. of a plunger mounted in the frame, means for operating the plunger, guides on the frame adjacent the plunger. a reciprocating carriage mounted on the guides, guides on the carriage extending below the plane of the plunger, means upon the carriage for drawing a backing strip transversely across the last mentioned guides, and means for reciprocating the carriage.

4. In a metallic leaf applying machine,

the combination with the frame. of a plunger mounted in the frame, means for operating the plunger. guides on the frame adjacent the plunger, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the guides, means for drawing a plurality of backing sti'ips individually different distances across the carriage below the plane of .the plunger, and means for reciprocating the carriage.

5. In a metallic. leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame, of a plunger mounted in the frame. means for operating the plunger, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the frame movable toward and from the plunger, a holder for a roll of metallic leaf pivotally mounted on the carriage at one side of the plunger. a roll shaft. mounted in the carriage at the opposite side of the plunger. a feed roll on the shaft, a second shaft in the carriage adjacent the first shaft, a segment on the second shaff adapted to cooperate with the feed roll,

driving connections between the shafts. and means actuating the carriage for drwmg one of the shafts.

6. In a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame, of a plunger mounted in the frame. means for operating the plunger. a carriage independently of the plunger mounted on the frame, a rod mounted in one side of the carriage, a plurality of roll holders pivotally mounted on the rod and circumfcrentially adjustable indepei'idently of each other on the rod. :2. roll shaft mounted in the opposite side of the carriage, a feed roll on the shaft. a second shaft in the carriage adjacent the first shaft. segments on the second shaft adapted to cooperate with the feed roll, depending strip guides on opposite sides of the carriage, driving connections between the shafts, and means actuating the plunger operating means for driving one of the shafts.

7. In a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame. of a plunger mounted in the frame. means for open ating the plunger. a reciprocating carriage mounted on the frame. means for recipri cut ing the carriage. roll holders mounted on one side of the carriage. a roll shaft mountcd in the opposite side of the carriage. a feed roll on the shaft. a second shaft in the carriage. a plurality of segments on the second shaft adapted to cooperate with the feed roll. means for circumfercntially adjusting the segments independently of each other, driving connections between the shafts. and means actuated by the reciprocating means for driving one of said shafts.

S. In a metallic leaf applying machine. the comliiuation of a frame. a main shaft in the franu'. a reciprocating plunger in the frame. opcrutivc col'mcctions bctivccn the shaft and plunger. :1 gear on the shaft. a reciprocating carriage mounted on the frame movable toward and from the main shaft, a roll holder mounted on thc carriage. a shaft mounted in the carriage, a feed roll on the shaft, :1 second shaft in the carriage, a segment on the last mentioned shaft adapted to coiiperalc with the feed roll, gears connecting the roll shaft and the main shaft. a clutch on the roll shaft, and means actuated by the main shaft for op erating the carriage.

9. In a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame. of a plunger mounted in the frame, means for operating the plunger, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the frame, means for reciprovating the carriage, roll holders mounted on one side of the carriage in different vertical planes, a roll shaft mounted in the gypposite side of the carriage, a feed roll on the shaft, a second shaft in the carriage, a plurality of segments on the second shaft. adapted to cooperate with the feed roll,

means for adjusting the individual segments longitudinally of the shaft, driving connections between the shafts, and means notuated. by the reciprocating means for driw ing one of said shafts.

10. In a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame. of a plank ger mounted in the frame, means for operating the plunger, guides upon the frame, a carriage mounted on the guides, a main shaft in the frame, a gear on the shaft, a shaft in the carriage, a gear on the second shaft cooperating with the gear on the first shaft, a feed roll in the carriage on the second shaft, a can! on the main shaft, a lever in the frame engaging the cam, a rock shaft in the frame, a. lever on the rock shaft eugaging the cam lever, resilient means for forcing the cam lever into continuous contact with the cam, arms upon the roux shaft, and linhs connecting the arms with the carria e.

11. .n a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination of a frame, a main shaft in. the frame, a reciprocating plunger in the frame, operative connections between the shaft and plunger, a mutilated gear on the shaft, a carriage slidahly mounted on the frame, a shaft in the carriage, a feed roll on the second shaft, a clutch on the roll shaft, and a gear on the roll shaft engaging the mutilated gear.

12. In a metallic leaf applying machine, the combination with the frame, of a plain ger mounted in the frame, means for operating the plunger, guides on the frame dis -posed transversely of the plunger at each side of the plunger, a reciprocating carriage mounted on the guides, means for reciprocating the carriage, and means upon the can riage actuated by the reciprocating means for intermittently feeding backing strips transversely of the carria 13, In it metal ic leaf =5; the coinhjnation with the f. or, a plum-- gel" mounted in the frame, means for up sting the plunger, guides upon the frame adjacent the plunger, a reciprocating varri.-1ge mounted on the guides and movabl toward the plunger, devices arranged side by side upon the carriage fer feeding hack ing stri as transversely of the carriage and of the plunger, means upon the carriage for adjusting the devices toward and from each other, and means for reciprorzltlmzj the can riage.

1 L In a metallic leaf applying taqn 'r'i the combination. with the franw vi a pin mounted in the frame, means 5m the plunger, guides upon the from-1: the plunger, a reciprocating csrria e moon ed on the guides, means for recon-heat ng the carriage, means upon the carriage for supporting a plurality of spaced hacking strips, and means cooperating with supporting means for simultaneously feeding eachv strip a distance different from the length of feed of the other strips,

In testimony whereof I have sfilxed my signature.

GEORGE LITTLEFElL-lfi. 

